Rumor: Sony to Remove OtherOS in Next PS3 Firmware Update

Rumor: Sony to Remove OtherOS in Next PS3 Firmware Update

Update: Sony's Geoff Levand has now confirmed, to quote: "SCE is committed to continue the support for previously sold models that have the 'Install Other OS' feature and that this feature will not be disabled in future firmware releases."

According to Owen Stampflee, a Linux Product Manager at Fixstars Corporation, Sony will remove OtherOS in the next PS3 Firmware update due to the recent GeoHot PS3 Hack.

Although this comes as no surprise to PlayStation 3 Slim owners, where OtherOS is already removed, it would contradict Sony's previous statement to standard PS3 owners.

To quote: "Everyone,

I've caught a rumor from a reputable source that the next firmware update for old PS3s will remove the OtherOS feature...

I'm not sure if it's true or not but it's in the best interest of the YDL community to spread the word.

We all know Sony was planning on rolling out an XNA like setup for the PS3 this year, plus with the OtherOS exploit - just makes it more and more worthwhile to do. Not to mention the whole removal of OtherOS from the slim's (its the same hardware too)

And for those who say "I'm going to sue Sony for doing this" - your not. Check out the TOS:

Without limitation, services may include the provision of the latest update or download of new release that may include security patches, new technology or revised settings and features which may prevent access to unauthorized or pirated content, or use of unauthorized hardware or software in connection with the PS3™ system.

Even if a class action suit was setup, the cost of settling would be much, much cheaper than dealing with piracy.

Then, come the next few updates, OtherOS gets canned, the loaders (the good ole ones that run in the isolated SPU's) get changed - keys get rolled.

Your forced to update to a later FW version (can't decrypt anything), and short of another hole being found (not saying its not possible, it is - but yeah...) everyone is back to square one!

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if they do pull it, and you want to keep an exploitable console, (start corporate whoring) make Sony happy and buy a Slim - there nice, quiet, small, and can do advanced audio codecs. (end corporate whoring)

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if they do pull it, and you want to keep an exploitable console, (start corporate whoring) make Sony happy and buy a Slim - there nice, quiet, small, and can do advanced audio codecs. (end corporate whoring)

Isn't less expensive to not upgrade ? Nothing good has come since firmware 2.0, all the blu-ray movies still play the same, movie quality is the same. This is only for people who wish to download PSN content and play online.

Since, to me, PS3 online game play sucks two monkey balls at the same time, this is not a problem. Since PSN has nothing good to offer and if you really want something from there, maybe in the future with the exploit you will be able to download from top sites and use it, this is not a problem.

So, my opinion:

1. If you want to play online, buy an X-Box 360, the live rocks.
2. If you want something from PSN, (what would you want from there?) wait a little bit.

If you follow this two options you will get:

1. Linux system
2. Backups
3. Homebrew

It really worth a lot.

My ps3 is really off the internet for almost 6 months, 1 year. Sony should have learned from the past, ps1 was only a huge seller because of piracy, ps2 the same. They should focus in selling bd-r for small price and lowing the copyright for a movie to be released on blu-ray. Because this is another problem with $ony, they are destroying the cinema that could come to highdef. Only big selling movies will show up on blu-ray if thouse bizarr contracts go on.

1. If you want to play online, buy an X-Box 360, the live r0x.
2. If you want something from PSN, (what would you want from there?) wait a little bit.

This is exactly my opinion, heh it's funny to discover that there's someone who thinks like you It's also nice to know that there's someone that bought the ps3 not only to play online 24h a day, but because it's great machine and because you want homebrew on it, to see how far it's power can go

EDIT: Regarding to the otherOS removal... I don't know if they will do this for real, but i'm not so ingenuous to believe that they will not fix it anyway xD

Simple - they don't upgrade. I mean, the only need to upgrade is for "end user" stuff, re-validation of disk certs for the blu-ray player, certs for PSN, firmware upgrades for games and whatnot.

plus, companies like the air force and other research firms that use the power of linux on the ps3s hardware probably have a different support channel to sony than the end users do.

since the cell is so different from other processor architectures i'm sure that sony has departments set up to help with issues for those firms that are programming/coding custom proprietary applications for use with the cell. more than likely the companies have to sign nda so as to protect against any "inside" info getting out to the public.